How to Research Your Neighborhood Presented by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries Saturday, November 16, 2013

Home , Chicago Public Library, Encyclopedia of Chicago, History of Chicago

First Steps: Defining Your Neighborhood

Chicago Neighborhoods and This print resource is organized alphabetically, and each entry contains a Suburbs: A Historical Guide bibliography. F548.18 .K43 2008

Chicago Historic Resources Focused on historic architecture, this source is divided by Community Area Survey (official city neighborhood designation) and provides helpful Community NA735.C4 C378 1996 Area maps.

City of Chicago Community http://www.cityofchicago.org/dam/city/depts/doit/general/GIS/Chicago_Ma Areas Map ps/Community_Areas/Community_Areas_W_Numbers.pdf

Official Community Area map from the City of Chicago website Encyclopedia of Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org

Many neighborhoods have entries in the Encyclopedia, which include historical details, information on significant events and people, current demographic information, and bibliographies. A Look at Cook http://www.alookatcook.com/

This free online source will assist you with locating ward boundaries and census enumeration districts. Chicago Ancestors http://www.chicagoancestors.org

Search by address to locate information on neighborhoods, historic structures, and Chicago events.

Neighborhood History Resources

Library Catalog Use the default author/subject search to find books on Chicago history or on (http://ryerson.artic.edu) specific neighborhoods. For example: Chicago (Ill.) – History Loop (Chicago, Ill.)

Search by keyword for terms such as Pilsen, Ravenswood, Streeterville Images of America series These neighborhood histories are heavily illustrated with period photographs. Specific titles can be found by searching the catalog for the neighborhood, or you can locate a list of all the books available in the library by searching the online catalog for the title Images of America. History of Chicago This history of the city, published in 1886, contains detailed accounts of life F548.3 .A5 1975 in Chicago through 1884, including information on neighborhoods.

Historic City: The Information on settlement patterns of Chicago neighborhoods is available in Settlement of Chicago this source, which includes color-coded maps depicting the areas different F548.3 .C48 1976 ethnic groups lived and how those change over time. Chicago in Maps: Historic maps of the city from the 17th to the 21st century are depicted and 1612 to 2002. described in this reference source, which also includes a bibliography. F548.3 .H94 2005 Streetwise Chicago: A Learn about the history of each street name in this reference work. History of Chicago Street Names. F548.67 .A1 H38 1988 Subscription Databases Available within the library at http://www.artic.edu/databases America: History & Life Chicago Tribune Historical Archive JSTOR Sanborn Insurance Maps of Illinois

Free Online Resources City of Chicago Neighborhood Guide: http://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods-and-communities/list/

Chicago Public Library Digital Collections: http://www.chipublib.org/images/index.php

Chicago Daily News Photographs Collection: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/ichihtml/

Newberry Library Neighborhood Research Page: http://www.newberry.org/chicago-neighborhood-guide

Architecture Resources

AIA Guide to Chicago. A guidebook organized by neighborhood, with a preface that contains an NA735 .C4 A43 2004 overview of the development of Chicago architecture, with useful maps of annexations and the fire boundaries. Many entries are illustrated.

History of the Development A detailed account of the development of the built environment in Chicago, of Building Construction in describing the architects, sites, costs, construction methods and construction Chicago. TH25 .C4 R35 materials for individual buildings, and listing primary-source accounts and 1999 images of each structure.

Chicago Historic Resources Results of a 1980s survey of Chicago historic structures are contained in Survey: An Inventory of this publication, which contains information on the date of construction, Architecturally and architect, building style, and landmark status of each listed building. An Historically excellent map of Chicago’s community areas and guide to building styles Significant Structures. are also included, as is an extensive bibliography. The inventory is also NA735 .C4 C378 1996. available online: http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/landmarksweb/search/home.htm

Historic American Buildings Architectural drawings, photographs, and written documentation on more Project/Historic American than 30,000 historic structures is available on the HABS/HAER page: Engineering Record http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/ Information on the Illinois structures is also available in print on the open shelf as NA735.C4 I45 1960z.

National Register of Building history, legal property descriptions, remarks on the significance of

2 Historic Places: Nomination each structure, and bibliographies of further reading are included in the Forms for Chicago nomination forms submitted to the National Park Service for inclusion on Buildings. the National Register of Historic Places. NA735 .C4 N38 1978. Landmark Neighborhoods in Detailed descriptions of 10 landmark districts in Chicago are included in Chicago. NA735.C4 L363 this resource, which also contains a guide to 12 popular styles of Chicago 1981 homes, descriptions of individual landmark buildings in the city, and a bibliography of Chicago Landmarks Commission publications.

Ryerson & Burnham http://www.artic.edu/research/archival-collections Libraries Archival Photographs, floor plans, architectural drawings, oral histories of architects Collections Burnham Index Look for articles on an architect or a building, most useful for the Chicago area in the 20th century. This includes references to the Art Institute of Chicago Architecture Scrapbook.

Sanborn Insurance Maps This subscription database is available within the library. Fire insurance maps show the footprint of structures as well as the building material, use (residential, corporate, etc.) and other information. The maps provide a snapshot of a neighborhood at a specific moment in time. Chicago Public Library’s neighborhood index to the Sanborn Insurance Maps is freely available online: http://www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/research/sanbornindex.php

Library Catalog Enter building name (example: Uptown Theater (Chicago, Ill.)) (http://ryerson.artic.edu) Enter architect last name, first name (example: Sullivan, Louis)

Subscription Databases Available within the library at http://www.artic.edu/databases America: History & Life American Periodicals Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals Chicago Tribune Historical Archive and Chicago Tribune JSTOR

Free Online Resources Chicago History Museum Architecture and Building History Resources: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research/resources/architecture

City of Chicago Commission on Chicago Landmarks Page: http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/landmarksweb/web/home.htm

House History Resources

Your House Has a History http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/landmarksweb/static/pdf/Your_House_Has_A_His tory.pdf An excellent step-by-step guide to researching your home, issued by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks Cook County Assessor’s http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/Property_Search/Property_Search.aspx Office Search by address to find your property identification number; many homes also have an estimated age listed Chicago History Museum http://www.chicagohistory.org/research/resources/architecture Architecture and Building Address conversion tools, building permit index, criss-cross directories, and History Resources more Chicago Ancestors http://www.chicagoancestors.org/tools

3 Address conversion tools, city directories, and links to other useful sites. Architecture Guides These sources contain images and diagrams to help you identify the style of your home:

Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945. NA705 .B55 1981.

What Style Is It? A Guide to American Architecture. NA 705 .P6 2003.

Periodicals Periodicals may lead you to information on construction and permit applications, as well as floor plans and photographs of completed residences. Examples include:

American Contractor (1898-1912). Microfilm 2000 14. Free online index: http://www.chsmedia.org/househistory/1898- 1912permits/search.asp

Economist (1888-1929). Microfilm 1994 4.

Inland Architect and News Record (1883-1908). Microfilm 1972 5.

Some images from periodicals have been digitized and are available in the Ryerson & Burnham Archives collection search: http://www.artic.edu/research/archival-collections

Directories Locate information on the architect or inhabitants of your home. Examples include:

Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased). NA736 .W5 1996

Chicago Architects Blue Book. Stack 4, 720.3 C53a

Chicago Blue Book. Stack B, 917.731 C53bL

Handbook for Architects and Builders. Stack 4, 721 I29

Subscription Databases Available within the library at http://www.artic.edu/databases Search by address in the following databases (remember to convert the street address if searching prior to 1909) Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals Chicago Tribune Historical Archive You can also use Ancestry.com (available at the reference desk) to access the U.S. Federal Census schedules and see who lived in your home during census years. You will need to use A Look at Cook to determine the ward in order to browse the census by enumeration district.

4 Public Art Resources

Chicago Sculpture. An overview of sculpture in the city, with chapters on the World’s NB235.C45 R53 1981. Columbian Exposition, fountains, sculpture and architecture, monuments, and public art. Many sculptures are illustrated, and maps and a bibliography are provided at the end of the book.

Guide to Chicago’s Public This guide to Chicago’s public sculptures is organized geographically, and Sculpture. NB235.C45 B3 includes a section on sculpture in the city’s cemeteries. Each entry is 1983. illustrated, and a chronology of sculpture in the city is available here, as is a bibliography.

Guide to Chicago’s Murals. Organized geographically, this guide contains a map and brief introduction ND2638.C4 G73 2001. to each region, followed by an illustrate description of each mural. A section on murals that have been lost or destroyed is also included, as are artist biographies and a bibliography.

Urban Art Chicago: This guide to Chicago public art contains a brief history of murals in Chicago’s Community Chicago, and is organized geographically. A map and introduction to the Murals, Mosaics, and artwork in each region starts each section of the work, after which each Sculptures. artwork is illustrated and described. Biographies of selected artists, and a N8845.C5 G83 2000. bibliography are also included.

Ryerson Index Look for articles on an artist, particularly if the artist was in the Chicago area and was active in the early 20th century. This includes references to the Scrapbook of Art and Artists of Chicago. Library Catalog Enter phrases such as the following as a default author/subject search: (http://ryerson.artic.edu) Painting – Illinois – Chicago Public Sculpture – Illinois – Chicago Street art – Illinois – Chicago Try keyword searches to combine artists and locations, for example: Picasso and Chicago Subscription Databases Available within the library at http://www.artic.edu/databases Art Full Text Art Retrospective Chicago Tribune Historical Archive Chicago Tribune Free Online Resources City of Chicago Public Art Guide: http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/dca/Public%20Art/pu blicartguide1.pdf

Chicago Transit Authority. Public Art on the CTA: http://www.transitchicago.com/art/

Chicago Public Art Blog: http://chicagopublicart.blogspot.com/

Chicago Public Art Group’s Public Art Map: http://www.cpag.net/home/map.html

5 Beyond the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries

The following repositories have strong collections of Chicago history materials, and are open to the public. Please call ahead prior to visiting, as hours and services may change.

Chicago History Museum 1601 N. Clark Street Research Center http://chicagohistory.org/research Hours: Tuesday-Friday 1:00-4:30 pm, Saturday 10:00 am-4:30 pm Free to members, open to others for a $5 daily fee or $15 annual fee

Premier collection of Chicago history materials includes directories, maps – including Sanborn atlases, newspapers, photographs, architectural archives Chicago Public Library 400 S. State Street Harold Washington Library http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/harold-washington/p/Index/ Center (312) 747-4300 Current hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 am-9:00 pm, Friday-Saturday 9:00 am–5:00 pm, Sunday 1:00 pm–5:00 pm.

Chicago history materials include directories, government documents, newspapers, neighborhood history collections Chicago Public Library 4555 N. Lincoln Avenue Sulzer Regional Library http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/sulzer-regional/p/Northside/ Northside Neighborhood (312) 742-4455 History Collection Hours: Tuesday 2:00 pm-5:00 pm and by appointment

Archival collections on several northside neighborhoods, as well as directories and newspapers. Chicago Public Library 9525 S. Halsted Street Woodson Regional Library http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/woodson-regional/p/FeatHarsh/ Vivian G. Harsh Collection (312) 745-2080 Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 am-9:00 pm, Friday-Saturday 9:00 am–5:00 pm, Sunday 1:00 pm–5:00 pm.

African-American history and literature collection includes local periodicals and African-American directories Cook County Recorder of 118 N. Clark Street, Room 120 County Building Deeds http://www.ccrd.info/ (312) 603-5050 Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tract books allow you to trace property ownership Illinois Regional Archive 5500 N. St. Louis Ave. Depository at Northeastern http://library.neiu.edu/whereinthelibrary/irad.html Illinois University (773) 442-4506 Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Chicago records include atlases and maps (Sanborn atlases 1907-1972), directories, and government documents Newberry Library 60 W. Walton Street http://www.newberry.org (312) 255-3605 Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am-1:00 pm

Chicago directories, genealogies, maps, newspapers, and periodicals

University of Illinois 801 S. Morgan, 3rd floor Chicago Daley Library http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/documents/services/ Government Documents (312) 996-2738 Department Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm

Collection of atlases and street maps focused on the Chicago region, and microfilm index to building permits, 1872-1955 (http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/documents/services/building.shtml)

Hiring a Researcher

Some Chicago repositories maintain lists of freelance researchers. Please contact individual researchers directly to inquire about rates and turnaround times.

Chicago History Museum Freelance Researcher List: http://chicagohistory.org/documents/research/resources/CHM-FreelanceResearchers.pdf

National Archives Chicago Area Freelance Researcher List: http://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help/chicago.html

Newberry Library Freelance Researcher List: http://newberry.org/sites/default/files/textpage-attachments/researchers.pdf